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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · craft · mark · chip · key · bat · march · cap

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. key — in music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. craft — boats
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bat — the animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com